And whom does Hital consider his mentor? "I consider both Senthil Kumar and Debu Purkayastha (also a creative director at JWT) my mentors. I look up to Senthil for the passion and zest he shows towards his work, for his ability to execute the smallest assignments with the greatest flair, and for his faith in me. As for Debu, he is an absolutely brilliant designer, a perfectionist in all he does, and has a keen eye for detail -- nothing escapes his notice!"

Hital is also full of praise for Rajiv Rao (creative director, O&M). "I don't know him personally," he says, "but I think his art direction skills are brilliant -- I try to match up to his work."

When asked which advertising campaign other than his own has impressed him in recent times, Hital says, "I think the new Happydent chewing gum campaign is great, featuring the vet and the cow! It's simple, funny, and drives the point home clearly -- if you want white teeth, buy the gum!"

And which does he think is the worst advertisement of late? "I think there are several bad ads around, but the ones that particularly don't sit well with me are those where celebrities are senselessly made to break into a song and dance which doesn't even relate to the product! Like the new Colgate toothpaste advertisement, which features Saif Ali Khan!"